Do you have to go to driving school?

I didnt go through a school i plan to start looking for a OTR job here in august hopefully.

 

All of the companies that have their own section on this forum will require school. You'll have to know someone or find a small local company without it.

 

Need to check you state laws. Starting January 1, 2009, the state of Michigan requires all new CDL applicants to take a driving course.

 

I know when i talked to people at PRIME INC and at SWIFT they said no problem on not going to school just have to go with a trainer for a while.

 

I didn't think any of the big companies would take you without school or legitimate experience, but I could be wrong. Finding a local small company would be the most likely way.

 

Small! Go small! "apprenticing" at that guys shop is the best way. I worked for my buddy in his shop, got my permit, drove with him in the cab, got my Class A, Filled in when drivers didnt show up. The only downside to that was my buddy told me insurance wouldnt carry me, so if i wrecked it, I stole it. did that awhile, then went OTR.

 

I grew up in a family of truckers. My grandpa, dad, uncle and brother all had trucking companies. I rode with them often as a kid so I knew how to drive a truck at a pretty young age. As soon as I turned 18 I borrowed one of their trucks and went and got my CDL (intrastate only until 21)

I never had any formal training, just years of watching and listening to old timers who had been doing it for decades. This the way truckers learned the ropes for years, I'm not real fond of these trucking schools that just teach ya how to pass the DMV test.